A lady descends the stairway

Things that go bump – at any time!
Not long ago a member of the Newstead staff, Maisie Hammond, was looking for a colleague before the Abbey was due to open to the public for the day.

She walked from the front door, through the Cloisters and turned in the Beckett Room where she bumped into someone.

Turning to apologise she was amazed to see that she had walked through a brownish shape which then disappeared through the doorway, leaving the usually pragmatic Northumbrian lady feeling decidedly intimidated and shaken.

Another member of staff had a similarly disturbing experience when she was descending the short spiral staircase from the two rooms comprising Byron’s bedroom and dressing room, the cell the Black Monk is most often reputed to haunt.

As she came downstairs, she became aware that ‘something’ was following her and then had the sensation that whatever it was passed right through her.